St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-15
FRIENDS OF IRELAND.
EsmOnde and O'COnnor Given a
Handsome Reception.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-At the recep-
ton given to EsmOnde and O'Connor
tonight the hall of the temple was
brilliantly Illuminated and decorated
with American and Irish flags. while
such inscriptions as Scotland, Wales
and Ireland Demand Home-Rule,"
american Sympathy is with Ireland"
Coercion is an Outrage on the Spirit of
Human Liberty" columbia Greets
Gladstone and ParnelI,' ornamented
the stage and walls. Nearly every seat
in the body of the hall was occupied.
1t was nearly $50 when
the distinguished guests arrived, and
were escorted TO seats upon the plat
form, where large number of senators
and representatives were present to do
them honor. Among them were the
following: Senators Sherman, Palmer
and Hawley; Representative Collins,
Bland, Herbert, Cultivate, FOran,
O'Niell, of Missouri; Woodburn, Phe-
Ian, Grain, Kennedy, Parker, Nutting,
J. ID. Taylor, YOst and Brown, Of Ohio,
and Fred Douglass. Mr.. Morris Muir
ply, chairman of the committee ON ar
ramgements. called the meeting to Or
der, and said that owing to the unavOid-
able absence of Senator ingalls,, who
was to preside, the first business was
the election of a permanent
chairman. Representative O'Neill,
of Missouri, proposed Senator Sher-
man, and he was elected amid
great cheering. Senator Sherman had
just begun speaking when Senator Ing
allS arrived and was escorted to the
platform. Senator Sherman, in ack-
nOWledging the compliment conferred
upon him, was greeted with loud ap-
plause and cheers. In appearing here
tonight, he said, he was bound to say
that he was not an Irishman. but the
trouble was that his ancestors had come
to this country so many years ago that
it was absolutely immaterial whether
they were Irish, English, Scotch or
Welsh. He knew one thing-he was an
American (applauSe). and as an Ameri-
can, feeling himself free to speak not
only of matters concerning our national
affairs. but also as to the affairs of
friendly nations. he took pleasure in
saying that he believed he spoke the
general voice of the people of the
when he said to the distinguished guests
that
TIE SYMPATHY OF AMERICA
went forth fully and heartily in the
strong desire that they might have home
rule in Ireland to the full extent de-
manded by Parnell and Gladstone.
Applause Why should not Ireland
have home rule? Americans felt that
they were born to govern themselves
and they had home rule not only in the
nation, but in every part of their great
organization of states. Our nation,
armed with limited powers, was but the
creature of the people. Everywhere in
our country there was. or ought to be,
free and equal rights and equal
privileges among all the citizens
of the United States. [Applausel.
He wanted to see Ireland possess
the same rights as those enjoyed
by the people of the United States
(applauSe) and he believed that in this
sentiment the general voice of the peO-
atOr Sherman said: ''All we want and
all we pray for is that Great Britain
may yield to our Irish brethren what
they desire and give them home rule:
and the British government from that
day forth will be stronger than ever
amid the powers of the world, loud
applauSe.) Now | am going" he added,
bowling to Senator ingalls,, ito resign
my office to the gentleman who has
come to take my place."
Senator ingalls,, after the applause
with which he was greeted had sub
sided, said two illustrious Irish men,
bers of the British parliament have
crossed the ocean to tell the story of the
wrongs of Ireland. They are here for
the purpose, and, he understood, of
aScertaining the sentiment of the Amer
lean people upon this great question
which is now occupying the attention of
men all over the civilized world, for the
purpose of ascertaining by personal in
SpectiOn and examination whether or
not it is true, as the Tories of Great
Britain have said, that the sentiments of
the great mass of the American people
are not with Ireland in her struggle for
home rule and constitutional liberty,
but that ali these movements are only
the conditions of partisan demagOgues
and of obscure politicians for the pur-
pose of catching Irish votes. I'VE have
assembled this evening"" he said. ''in
the shadow of the national capitol for
the purpose of saying, so far as he could
voice the sentiments of the aSSemblage.
that the cause of Ireland is the cause of
America great applause): that in a
deeper and wider sense it is not only
the cause OF Ireland, but of humanity
itself. We have assembled for the pIIr-
pose of learning from these two illus
trious Representatives of Irish senti-
ment what has been the result OF
SEVEN CENTURIES OF OPPRESSION
of the Irish people by the governing
classes of Great Britain, and lie said,
were he still more obscure politician
than he was, he should not hesitate to
say that if we are called upon to choose
between expressing our Sympathies for
Great Britain or for Ireland in this con-
test no American citizen will long hesi-
tate as to what his preference shall be-
He did not understand, he said, that
the Irish representatives of home rule
desire to interfere with the unity OF the